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Woke up, got out of bed
Dragged a comb across my head
and on the way downstairs
I had a smoke, and somebody spoke
and I went into a dream.........

I wake before sunrise, say a morning prayer for the day
and drink some water while the coffee/tea brews.
Then I shower and shave with the same deliberation
as George c. Scott getting dressed to battle Rommel's army
or Lee Marvin as kid Shaleen in Cat Ballou getting cleaned up.

Finally I strap on my watch, note the time is still well before most people
are bailing out of bed like a scared to death tail gunner in a mortally crippled Lancaster over Germany.

The advantage of shaving after the shower is the soak and softening the beard gets in the shower as prep to the actual shave. If you don't shower first, you have to make a separate effort to soak and soften the beard before the shave.

I shave at night and I shower in the morning. Due to that little disconnect, I didn't vote.

Murray, Years ago when I had to be at staffing at 8am I did the reverse; showered at night but shaved before work in the morning. Worked fine, but given my druthers it's shower than shave. I can't see any reason why one would reverse that, except if they were using an electric shaver, which demands dry more brittle whiskers to be effective. But with wetshaving, why not, as you say, take advantage of the moisture and beard softening a shower affords one before taking the blade to the face?
Regards,
Gordon

Funky, I shave afterward, and really don't find it creates much of a mess. I just wipe up the water drops that get on the countertop or on the mirror. Dry off the lather bowl and/or scuttle and put the razor away, after I towel my face dry and apply whatever post shave stuff, if anything.

On many days when I need to get up, shower and go to work, then I have a very pleasant non-rushed shave before I go to sleep, and it works out pretty good, if I can remember to do it that way.

funkthulhu wrote:
Additionally, for those of you who shave last, how do you stay clean? I generally end up with lather and/or water half way down my chest by the time I'm done. What am I doing wrong?

Perhaps there is too much water in your lather? The lather needs to be thick/dense enough to stick to your face. If it is too watery, it will be messy when lathering on your face, and when you actually shave the hair and lather off with the razor

I have been a "mug an' brush" shaver since the '70's and shaved before showering. Why? It seemed logical to wash the lather off your face and all the other guys in the dorm did it that way. When I discovered real wetshaving here and switched from a Trac II to a DE or a straight, I shaved after the shower. The shaves were a lot better. The shave/shower order isn't the only reason for the better shaves, but it is part of the package, i.e. "automatic" beard softening. Another benefit of showering first is that the shower wakes me up and is refreshing so I don't shave in a sleepy haze. I get a better shave and an enjoyable shave.

Dave

"Sanity is a madness put to good use." - George Santayana (…like a wet shaver with an acquisition disorder.)

During the week, I take a shower in the evening and shave in the morning. On the weekend or when I have a day off of work, I shower and then shave. The shower helps soften the beard. After I shave, I hold a face cloth soaked with cold water to my face to cool my skin and close the pores. Showering after my shave would defeat that.

Oh dear, it's holy week and I'm reverting to heathen paganism without merit.
BUT, if you do not want to drop anymore apothecary shaving mugs a suitable offering should be made to the household dieties; saucers with a splash of bayrum, some creme and a bit of bread and I've been good to go all year.
I've also found coffee or Earl Grey steadies my hand.